New 'Law & Order: CI' Exec Producers

EXCLUSIVE: Talk about flattering. I’ve just learned that Warren Leight has been replaced by not one but two executive producers on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Sources tell me that Dick Wolf’s plan is to break the 16-episode season into two sets of 8 episodes each. Walon Green will exec produce the 8 episodes starring Vincent D’Onofrio, while Robert Nathan will exec produce the episodes starring newcomer Jeff Goldblum who replaced Chris Noth. And of course Wolf supervises everyone. I broke the news back on May 31st that, within days of USA Networks renewing CI and in the middle of hammering out his new CI deal, Leight jumped to HBO’s In Treatment. (See my previous, Leight Leaves ‘Criminal Intent’ For HBO.) But CI is in great hands: both Green and Nathan are Law & Order veterans.

17 Comments

I like Goldblum, and I’m curious to see how he’ll fit into this pre-existing L&O franchise, and I remember Walon Green’s work on the original L&O and hope he does well at it. Maybe they should do a special episode with D’Onofrio and Goldblum working together in a battle of the twitchy verbal affectations. ;) (I kid out of respect, having liked both actor’s work for years.)

As for Leight, will he demand a double salary from In Treatment citing his replacements as proof of his value? ;)

Jason • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

Jeff Goldblum could really rock on this show.

Dan Zee • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

Interesting casting. CI seems to like crazy actors, or at least actors who play crazy. Jeff Goldblum played a crazy detective in Raines last year. Vincent D’Onofrio is just plain crazy — but likeable! Don’t hurt be Vince!

insideinsider • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

what’s so flattering? Leight screwed up the show so bad, it’s gonna take two showrunners to pull it out of the nosedive Leight put it in. Leight took a show that was pulling in 12 million viewers a week against Desperate Housewives and in his first season running it, dropped its viewership to 8 million, so low that the show got dumped off NBC to USA Network, where its ratings went down further to 4 million on a good night, and then he managed to get the show’s order cut from 22 episodes to 16. That’s hardly a success story.

Oh goody… Oscar winner and Emmy winner Walon Green’s taking Team D’Onofrio/Erbe! This was a candidate I had hoped would take on the showrunner job.

Had heard about Robert Nathan taking Team Goldblum/Nicholson last week, but as of then the deal for Team D’Onofrio/Erbe had not been finalized. I also like Nathan’s writing a lot.

For CI fans who are not familiar with Nathan and Green’s put Law & Order Season 3 in your Netflix queue and pay particular attention to an episode entitled ‘Manhood’…they worked on this episode together and both got nominated for an Emmy for it back in 1993.

So for those who are potentially hoping for a crossover episode of the show between the two casts…well at least the writers have worked successfully on scripts together before ;-)

I am one pleased CI fan…I loved the earliest seasons of the mothership (Seasons 1-5 of Law & Order) and am pleased as punch at the dual showrunner arrangement (not to mention nailing down Jeff Goldblum to replace Chris Noth was also an intriguing and encouraging choice).

Looking forward to Season 8

David • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

First off, Goldblum was exceptional in the short-lived RAINES … boy, talk about twitches. The show had exquisitely written episodes and Godblun showed off acting chops like never before.I thunk he’ll be nothing short of wonderful.
Vince, we love ya man! But, as I’ve said before, what he and Warren leight pulled off was tremendous … can Walon Green do the same? Probably not, but what they will do will be very, very beautiful.
We love ya Vince! Just saw the old Miami Vice ep you were on … wow!

Tracey • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

I hope that Jeff GoldBlum works out for season8 and it doesn’t affect its ratings, because he was on Detective Raines and that didn’t last to long so lets just hope that he is a big help to the show and not a disappointment, because i’d hate to think that bringing him on would be the ending of the series. So lets just all hope for the best.

Captain Obvious • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

I like the idea of Goldblum on CI. It’s a rather intriguing casting choice, and I look forward to partaking in the future fruits of the L&O:CI production!

chasing rene • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

insideinsider,

Bitter much? Still can’t get over the show being taken away from you at the end of season five? You’re doing fine now, Let It Go.

Maybe you should be chasing a clue. (First one: Rene’s been out of the country and off the net for the last two weeks. But you knew that already…)

If you knew Leight, and I think you do… you’d know how over his head he was when he took over CRIMINAL INTENT. He was a Supervising Producer level at best and when he took over the wheels simply fell off. (There’s only so many Liza Minelli jokes you can get away with before the kids click over to wrestling.)

HBO is the perfect Warren Leight landing spot because HBO sucks. Between the show about the toothless men at the Cathouse and the JOHN FROM CINCINNATI re-runs, Leight’s IN TREATMENT will sound like Shakespeare in the park. Wasn’t this the network that passed on MAD MEN?

kate • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

All of L&O rocks!! and it’s very exciting to think of Jeff Goldblum joining the family. I believe this show has always been the weakest but who cares. Those of us whose brains are addicted to the format are just happy that this is going on forever……or so it seems! Dick Wolf is my hero.

CI is my favorite out of all the L&0 franchise.
I was just so happy USA network picked it up.
I really did not want to see it get canceled.
I find the original often boring now.
It tends to be the same and so predictable.
I hate when they use real stories,
“ripped from the headlines”. Can you not think up some new plots and fresh twists? That being said it is still better then 90% of the ca-ca on TV. How many reality shows do we have to bear until that trends dies!

NormalViewer • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

Let’s face it…Goldblum sucks in this roll and the series is headed down the drain as long has he’s on it! He’s not even a ‘B’ actor whose only career highlight was getting eaten in Jurasic Park in a scene that spoke better of the special effects folks than of his mediocre acting talents. It’s so bad, I can’t watch it anymore. They should show these episodes to the prisoners at Gitmo…now that’s torture!

Disgusted Viewer • on Jul 29, 2008 11:00 am

Well you’ve managed to ruin another good TV show by successfully drowning out the dialog with overly loud drama music. Apparently you are so out of touch with your typical viewing audience, that you’re driving them away.Our friends agree and eventually you will too, but then it will be too late for you.